1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to edible food products, and, more particularly, to analogues of edible natural fresh whole poultry eggs and methods of manufacturing the same.
More specifically, the present invention relates to edible natural fresh whole poultry egg analogue products which can be used with equal facility and can substantially duplicate the results, both nutritionally and in terms of cooking characteristics and/or organoleptic properties of a natural poultry egg These characteristics and properties are irrespective of whether the egg analogue of this invention is hard boiled, soft boiled, scrambled, fried either "sunny-side up" or "over easy", basted, poached, or used as a component ingredient of another food product.
The whole poultry egg analogue products provided by this invention comprise a synthetic egg with three basic parts; i.e., a yolk surrounded by a vitelline membrane and a white. This invention also includes egg analogues comprised of a yolk encased in a synthetic membrane.
The egg analogue of this invention may be formulated to improve, change or compensate for certain undesirable components or fractions inherently present in natural fresh whole poultry eggs such as triglycerides, high-density lipids or cholesterol. The resulting analogue can be prepared employing the present invention to substantially approximate the appearance, consistency, cooking characteristics, taste and similar organoleptic properties of a natural, fresh whole poultry egg product.
For example, when the yolk analogue (hereinafter referred to as the "yolk") is man-made, the product can be engineered to be "cholesterol free" or, if desired, its cholesterol content can be established at any desired reduced level. Moreover, the calorie content of the egg can be significantly reduced to contain, for example, one-third or less, of the calories contained within a natural egg.